Animal Cell compared to a City

Animal cell

compared to a City

• Structure: system of fluid-filled cisterns that coil and twist through the cytoplasm

• Function: manufactures steroid hormones and detoxifies organic compounds

• Location: in the cytoplasm

• Analogy: the smooth er is similar to a hospital.

Rough ER

• Structure: system of fluid-filled cisterns that coil and twist through the cytoplasm studded with ribosomes

• Function: creates building material for cellular membranes

• Location: in the cytoplasm near the golgi apparatus

• Analogy: the rough ER can be thought of as a city factory because essentially all of the building materials of cellular membranes are formed either in it or on it.

Nucleus

• Structure: most often oval or spherical, made up of the nuclear envelope, the nucleoli, and chromatin. The nuclear envelope is a double membrane barrier that bounds the nucleus. The Nucleoli is a dark staining, essentially round body where ribosomes are assembled. Chromatin is loose networks of bumpy threads made up of DNA and protein.

• Function: It is the “headquarters” or the control center

• Location: Usually the center of the cell

• Analogy: A city hall would be like the nucleus of a cell. Both control everything that goes on.

Vesicle

Mitochondria

Mitochondria are rod-shaped organelles that can be considered the power generators of the cell, converting oxygen and nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

The Mitochondria resembles a factory in a city. it is powerful and creates energy for the cell or city.

• Structure: small round bodies

• Function: transport ribosomes from place to place and carry protein to the plasma membrane

• Location: floating about in the cytoplasm of fussed into the plasma membrane

• Analogy: vesicles are like the vehicles in a city they transfer everything from one place to another

Cytoskeleton

• Structure: an elaborate network of protein structures

• Function: acts as a cell’s bones and muscles by furnishing an internal framework that determines the cells shape

• Location: throughout the cytoplasm

• Analogy: the cytoskeleton could be compared to the frame work of a city, from its buildings, to its landscaping.

Smooth ER

Golgi Apparatus

• Structure: a stack of flattened membranous sacs. Associated with swarms of tine vesicle

• Function: modifies and packages protein (sent to it by the rough ER via transport vesicles) in specific ways depending on their destination

• Location: generally found close to the nucleus in the cytoplasm

• Analogy: The golgi apparatus is like the postal system of a city both receives “mail” and then send it to the appropriate destination

Ribosomes

• Structure: tiny bilobed, dark bodies made of proteins and one variety of RNA called ribosomal RNA.

• Function: site of protein synthesis in the cell.

• Location: some float freely throughout the cytoplasm, others attach to membranes and the whole ribosome-membrane combo is called the rough endoplasmic reticulum

• Analogy: Ribosomes could be compared to the restaurants throughout the city, scattered out around the city or located in a food court type environment. Both ribosomes and restaurants give protein to the things that need it.

Plasma Membrane

• Structure: A fragile, transparent barrier consisting of two lipid fat layers arranged “tail to tail” (in which protein molecules float), that contains the cell contents and separates them from the surrounding environment.

• Function: Encloses cell contents and regulates what gets in and out.

• Location: all around the out most part of the cell. (the skin)

• Analogy: This could be compared to a city wall; both a city wall and a plasma membrane surround its contents to control what goes in and out.